McLEAN, Virginia. (AP) — President Joe Biden Donald Trump was once again called a “convicted felon” at a high-profile fundraiser on Tuesday, saying his likely opponent in the November election was leading an “all-out attack” on the US justice system.
Tuesday’s event with former President Bill Clinton raised $8 million for Biden’s re-election campaign. It’s part of about $40 million raised by Biden and his top surrogates over the past five days, according to the campaign. The vast majority came from Saturday’s glitzy fundraiser with movie stars and former President Barack Obama in Los Angeles, which raised more than $30 million. First lady Jill Biden also launched her own personal fundraiser that raised $1.5 million.
Biden and Clinton, who appeared with Obama at a March fundraiser at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, headlined Tuesday’s event, held at the former Virginia governor’s home. Terry McAuliffe, longtime Clinton adviser. Author John Grisham, Jill Biden and former first lady Hillary Clinton also attended the event in McLean, Virginia, an upscale Washington suburb.
Biden told a crowd of about 450 people that Trump was desperate and that “the threat Trump poses in a second term will be greater than his first,” while referencing the former president’s 34 felony convictions in a secret money affair in New York.
“For the first time in American history, a former president is a convicted felon,” Biden said, adding: “But, as disturbing as it is, the all-out attack that Trump is launching on our justice system is still more overwhelming. »
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Biden has had it personally for weeks Criticized the former president for claiming the accusation against him was politically motivated, saying “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.” But Biden’s campaign has launched a $50 million ad buy through the end of June, which includes his first television ad. emphasizing Trump’s convictionindicating that they view the matter as a question of political strength as Election Day approaches.
Before Biden took the stage, McAuliffe joked that the rally he helped organize was in competition with Hollywood’s big money.
“We don’t need all these movie stars and jugglers and singers and farm animals, whatever they have,” McAuliffe said of the Los Angeles event.
He also laughed, telling Biden: “When you win again, I’ll offer myself right away.” » …I will mow the White House lawn.
Hillary Clinton compared herself in 2016 to Cassandra in Greek mythology, who could see the future but was not believed, saying: “That’s how I felt in 2016, when I pulled the alarm bells about Donald Trump. »
But today she says: “We can all understand how dangerous it would be to entrust him, and his allies and supporters, with the leadership of our country. He did enormous damage.
Clinton said it was difficult to understand why people who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump’s presidency could still support the Republican, but “unfortunately, many of our fellow Americans seem willing to take that risk.” She also called Trump a “clear and present danger.”
Bill Clinton thanked donors for their money and said of the Biden campaign: “They’ll do a good job spending it.” ” He said of Biden: “I’ve seen him do this job with standards and values and with great impact. »
Biden re-election campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said: “Our supporters understand the issues. The money we’ve raised since Friday means more ads, more organizers and more direct contact with the voters who will decide this close election in November – meanwhile, Trump continues to struggle after running out of resources and presence in battleground states for months.
Last weekend’s event in Los Angeles — which also featured actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts in addition to Biden and Obama — was the largest fundraiser in Democratic Party history.
Biden has accelerated his fundraising sprint as Trump shows signs he is gaining ground in the money game. For example, Trump raised $50.5 million at a major donor gathering in April at the Florida home of billionaire investor John Paulson.
The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee say they raised $141 million in May, supplemented by tens of millions of dollars in contributions that poured in after Trump’s guilty verdict in his criminal trial on hush money charges. The Biden campaign has not yet released its fundraising numbers for May.
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Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed.